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k14

k14

629 posts

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#312743 13-May-2024 19:30
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Thought I would get some opinions on this before I decide what to do. My daughter has had this chromebook for just over 2 years. Lenovo 300e 2nd Gen

 

I know the initial reaction will be kid with chromebook, rough as guts, but she is very careful with it. Not a scratch or dent on the thing and been in a case all its life, it actually has not had a whole lot of use. Last month she came home upset one day because the screen has cracked. I thought she must have dropped it but she said she was just opening it and noticed it was cracked. On closer inspection it seems there is a major design flaw in the hinges and how they are mounted to the plastic lid. Each side hinge has 3 screws which thread into moulded mounting holes on the lid. These have all broken away from the plastic and that has meant the only thing holding the top of the laptop to the rest of the body is the screen and the two metal supports that go the height of the screen to the top (up near webcam). Although even one of these has fatigued and broken, so it was literally one screw and the clips of the screen holding it all together. All of this has meant the screen flexes a lot when opening the lid and has lead to the screen cracking and now is intermittently working.

 

Initially I thought replace the screen, which is about $60-100 on aliexpress. But not much point doing this without replacing the lid so the hinges work properly (it will just crack again), this adds ~ another $130ish. So round numbers about $250 to fix it all up using aliexpress parts which isn't 100% guaranteed.

 

Ultimately I think this is a really crappy design, for something that cost $500 I would expect it to be designed better and this is marginal under the CGA as not being fit for the purpose intended. I am guessing it has only been opened and shut 500 times (doesn't get used every day and is very rarely used at home). Anyone have experience trying to do this recently with Noel Leeming for a similar issue or any other suggestions? Or just cut my losses, chuck it in the e-waste and buy a new one? Seems such a waste but seems to be the approach with manufacturing these days...

 

 


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Goosey
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  #3230050 14-May-2024 06:38
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Agree… bad design…that ABS? Plastic moulding doesn’t look like it was up to the task?
plenty of parts on google As you say for around $30-$60 ish.

 

 

 

I’ve been trying to tell the child in my family to use a hand on each side of the screen when opening and closing as I can feel it’s just too much strain if using just one side…. Also the fact they waltz around holding them on one edge when moving around the home or classroom….i reckon the weight then all hangs on the corners…

 

 

 

good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 




turtleattacks
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  #3230239 14-May-2024 12:30
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Makes me sad seeing this, companies are making products with prices racing to the bottom. Making stuff look great and shiny in the shops without any afterthought on durability. 

 


Really makes me wonder if the industrial designer behind that hinge had considered that the plastic hinges won't last. 





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ezbee
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  #3230384 14-May-2024 15:50
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I do see on the Electronics Repair School YouTube, a number of these terribly supported hinge designs dating back a long ways.

Can't imagine how many cents they save by not having more plastic support.
IBM used to have a blue weak thread lock to stop screws coming loose and I wonder if Lenovo dropped the idea.

He also checks hinges are not too stiff.
A plastic compatible lubricant maybe an idea,
( Silicone lubricant used in tapware and rubber compatible  ? )

 

His repairs are with high temperature hot melt glue.
Seems strange to me but he says it has advantage of being able to easily take back apart by heating to 100C.
He supports both sides generously, makes sure hinges are not to stiff. 
I think this relies on a strong top cover that is well supported by screws.

From 6 months ago.
Two nice Acer laptops hinge repair - The easiest way to fix a laptop hinge problem
Electronic Repair School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Xuy8mG6Bs&t=129s

 

Was doing this 4-5 years ago, so seems to work for him.

 

Laptop broken hinge - easy fix for any kind of laptop (Sony)
Electronics Repair School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLoHEB7m8Fc

 

Lenovo G50-80 broken hinge - Hinge repair with hot glue.
Electronics Repair School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4FrkXEVxLk&t

Otherwise with a HDMI port and mouse you might still have it useable as a backup desktop.




jonathan18
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  #3230401 14-May-2024 16:07
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My son’s 300e G2 did exactly the same. Unlike your daughter, my son is fairly hard on devices, but these are also supposed to be built well - and there’s something distinctly questionable about that hinge design, as you point out.

k14

k14

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  #3231960 17-May-2024 20:02
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ezbee:

I do see on the Electronics Repair School YouTube, a number of these terribly supported hinge designs dating back a long ways.

Can't imagine how many cents they save by not having more plastic support.
IBM used to have a blue weak thread lock to stop screws coming loose and I wonder if Lenovo dropped the idea.

He also checks hinges are not too stiff.
A plastic compatible lubricant maybe an idea,
( Silicone lubricant used in tapware and rubber compatible  ? )


His repairs are with high temperature hot melt glue.
Seems strange to me but he says it has advantage of being able to easily take back apart by heating to 100C.
He supports both sides generously, makes sure hinges are not to stiff. 
I think this relies on a strong top cover that is well supported by screws.

From 6 months ago.
Two nice Acer laptops hinge repair - The easiest way to fix a laptop hinge problem
Electronic Repair School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Xuy8mG6Bs&t=129s


Was doing this 4-5 years ago, so seems to work for him.


Laptop broken hinge - easy fix for any kind of laptop (Sony)
Electronics Repair School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLoHEB7m8Fc


Lenovo G50-80 broken hinge - Hinge repair with hot glue.
Electronics Repair School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4FrkXEVxLk&t

Otherwise with a HDMI port and mouse you might still have it useable as a backup desktop.


Thanks! Will give those video methods a try and report back.

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